Started in 2005, RPV was a first in UK health care, a digital system allowing patients and carers to have password-protected access to their clinical information held in their local renal unit IT system through an intermediate web server. A £75,000 grant to establish proof of principle was obtained from the Department of Health. Under the leadership of Neil Turner (Edinburgh) and Keith Simpson (Glasgow), collaborating with an independent web development company, by early 2005 there was a working model in a pilot scheme in four renal units which used Proton. It was immediately welcomed by patients and carers as an effective and user-friendly means for patients to access their own clinical information. A minority of RA members were cautious that such access may generate anxiety and increase demand for communication with patients between clinic visits that would be hard to sustain, but this did not materialise. RPV steadily grew to full national coverage as technical links with all renal unit IT systems were established. Originally offered to those receiving RRT, its application expanded to all patients with information held on renal unit IT systems.
In 2008 a sustainable technical and governance future for RPV was secured by co-locating its administrative support in the Registry offices. A capitation funding model was agreed – initially £2.50 per RRT patient for every unit in England where patients used RPV. Growth was rapid – by 2009 there were already 10,000 RPV users. The RPV committee, vigorously led by Turner and Simpson, continued to improve the interface and increase its functionality.
A change of name to PatientView in 2014 was decided since the system was now being offered to other specialties (and was first taken up for inflammatory bowel disease).RPV is a unique development which placed the renal community at the forefront of digital clinical applications.
First published 2023
Last Updated on April 16, 2025 by neilturn